Stanford
Student Services

Meal Plans

For information on meal plans, see the meal plan rate page on the R&DE Stanford Dining website.

Stanford University’s Residential Education program promotes the philosophy that living and learning are integrated and that formal teaching, informal learning, and personal support in residences are integral to a Stanford education. Meals play a key role in this mission of community building, leading, and learning. Therefore, residents of designated university residence halls (Branner, Crothers/Crothers Memorial, Florence Moore, Gerhard Casper, Lakeside, Ricker, Stern, Toyon, Wilbur, Yost, Murray, and EAST) are required to participate in an R&DE Stanford Dining Meal Plan. R&DE Stanford Dining is "Committed to Excellence" by providing meal plans that offer significant value, the highest quality, and most flexibility of dining across campus, along with a daily variety of delicious, nutritious options including vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, kosher, and halal. The Food Allergies @Stanford program offers support and dining accommodations to students with food allergies or other dietary concerns. During Spring Break, to accommodate those staying on campus, Arrillaga Family Dining Commons is open for student meals.

All freshmen and upperclass students living in the above houses can choose an R&DE voluntary meal plan which offers expanded flexibility and numerous options for on campus use. Residents of Yost, Murray, and EAST have a dedicated row meal plan. Students assigned to the Governor’s Corner Suites and the remaining row houses are required to purchase either a Dining Societies meal plan (Suites), or a house meal plan (managed through their self-operated or co-op row house staff).

Students are allowed to switch meal plans up until the last two weeks of the quarter. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter. Cardinal Dollars do not expire and carry over from year to year as long as you are enrolled as a student. The remaining Meal Plan Dollar balance carries over at the end of each quarter and can be used throughout the academic year as long as the student is enrolled in a meal plan. All Meal Plan Dollars expire at the end of Summer Quarter. Meal Plan Dollars provided per quarter as part of the Ultimate Flex, Premier Flex, Cardinal Select and Cardinal Light plans vary depending on the number of days in each quarter.

Meal Plans

Undergraduate students living in Branner, Crothers/Crothers Memorial, Florence Moore, Gerhard Casper, Lakeside, Ricker, Stern, Toyon, and Wilbur are required to be at a minimum on one of the Cardinal mandatory meal plans (Classic, Select and Light), but can choose to switch meal plans at any time, until the last two weeks of each quarter.

Cardinal Classic

  • 19 meals per week served only in the dining halls
  • 5 guest meals per quarter
  • During home football games, a meal swipe can be used at the Stanford Stadium

Cardinal Select

  • 14 meals per week plus 420 Meal Plan Dollars and 5 guest meals per quarter
  • All 14 meals are served in the dining halls
  • Meal Plan Dollars can be used in the dining halls, most R&DE cafés, Munger Market and late night venues
  • During home football games, a meal swipe can be used at the Stanford Stadium
  • The default meal plan for freshmen and upperclass students not living in  Yost, Murray or EAST

Cardinal Light

  • 10 meals per week plus 750 Meal Plan Dollars and 5 guest meals per quarter
  • All 10 meals are served in the dining halls and the Meal Plan Dollars can be used in the dining halls, most R&DE cafés and late night venues
  • During home football games, a meal swipe can be used at the Stanford Stadium
  • This meal plan is only available for upperclass students.

Row House

Students living in Yost, Murray, or EAST are required to be on the Row House mandatory undergrad meal plan: 12 meals per week plus 345 meal plan and open kitchen dollars.

  • 10 meals are served at the row house
  • 2 meals can be eaten at any dining hall
  • Meal Plan Dollars can be used in the dining halls, most R&DE cafés and late night venues
  • Open kitchen funds are available for additional meals in the row house when meals are not being served
  • During home football games, a meal swipe can be used at the Stanford Stadium